《超級瑪利歐世界》（Super Mario World）是任天堂於1990年在超級任天堂（Super Famicom/SNES）平台推出平台動作冒險遊戲，也是該系列的第四部作品，跟《F-ZERO》同日發行，兩款遊戲是首款超任平台的作品。遊戲不僅繼承前作的經典元素，還藉助超級任天堂的強大硬體性能，對畫面、玩法及系統進行全面升級，在許多年後仍被專業遊戲雜誌評選為歷史上最好的遊戲之一，之後移植在GBA及Virtual Console平台，是唯一總銷售量超過兩千萬套的超任遊戲。

黃色遊戲封面的瑪利歐坐騎耀西也首次躍上任天堂的舞台，故事發生在名為「恐龍島」（Dinosaur Land）的神秘地區。瑪利歐和路易吉帶著碧姬公主來到這裡度假，卻意外發現碧姬公主再次遭到庫巴（Bowser）綁架。與此同時，恐龍島的居民—小恐龍族群也面臨庫巴軍隊的威脅。瑪利歐和路易吉在旅途中遇到耀西（Yoshi），得知庫巴的七名孩子—庫巴七人眾（Koopalings）分別佔領恐龍島上的七座城堡，並將耀西的同伴們封印在蛋中。於是，瑪利歐兄弟和耀西攜手展開冒險，一邊擊敗庫巴七人眾，一邊解救碧姬公主和耀西的族人，最終進攻庫巴城堡，與庫巴展開決戰，拯救恐龍島並讓一切恢復和平。

舞台設計相當類似《超級瑪利歐兄弟3》，在玩法上延續系列傳統的2D橫向捲軸移動，用瑪利歐或路易吉穿越各種關卡，躲避或擊敗敵人，並尋找隱藏的秘密路徑來解救碧姬公主。核心玩法依然是跳躍、踩踏敵人以及收集道具，但同時加入許多全新的要素，使遊戲體驗更加豐富且具挑戰性。

耀西的登場是本作的一大亮點。在冒險途中會發現耀西蛋，一旦孵化，瑪利歐便可以騎乘耀西進行冒險。耀西能吞下敵人並根據吞食的不同龜殼發動特殊能力，例如吐火、飛行或震地，這使得戰鬥方式更加多樣。此外，若瑪利歐受到攻擊，耀西會驚慌逃走，需要迅速將其追回，否則耀西將消失，增加冒險中的緊張感。

在道具方面，除經典的超級蘑菇、火焰花和無敵星星外，還新增「斗篷羽毛」（Cape Feather），這是強大的道具，使瑪利歐獲得斗篷形態，能夠助跑後短暫飛行並進行滑翔，甚至在空中持續盤旋。斗篷羽毛的加入極大地拓展關卡探索的自由度，通過飛行來發現隱藏區域或捷徑。還引入「旋轉跳躍」（Spin Jump）技能，在跳躍時擊碎特定的方塊，或直接攻擊那些無法通過普通踩踏擊敗的敵人，這使得關卡設計更具層次感和解謎性。

由七個主要世界和一個最終世界構成，每個世界中包含數個關卡，要逐一攻略並挑戰各個城堡中的庫巴七人眾。每座城堡的設計風格獨特，擁有複雜的機關、陷阱與頭目戰，成功擊敗庫巴七人眾後，瑪利歐便能繼續前進，逐步解鎖通往庫巴城堡的道路。

探索要素極為豐富，每個世界中都設有許多隱藏道路與秘密出口，有些關卡甚至擁有兩個或更多出口。找到秘密出口後，便可開啟新的關卡或捷徑，秘密出口高達96個，如果有漏掉還可以返回之前關卡來搜尋及挑戰。這大幅提升整體的耐玩度與重玩價值。

「星之道路」（Star Road）是本作的重要隱藏區域，在關卡中找到星之道路的入口，進入後可以通往其他世界或特殊地點。星之道路中的五個關卡各具挑戰性，完成後將開啟通往「特別世界」（Special World）的入口。這是遊戲中最具挑戰性的區域，通關後恐龍島的地形和敵人將發生變化，呈現出另一種全新面貌，讓玩家獲得不同的冒險體驗。

當年發售後獲得極高的市場評價和玩家讚譽，全球累計銷量超過2000萬套，成為超級任天堂平台上最暢銷的遊戲。評論家對其精美的畫面、流暢的操作手感和富有深度的關卡設計給予高度肯定，認為在視覺效果和玩法創新方面達到當時的頂尖水準。

耀西的加入被視為遊戲史上的經典創舉，這位可愛的角色自此成為任天堂的重要吉祥物，並衍生出一系列以耀西為主角的獨立作品。此外，斗篷羽毛的設計也成為平台遊戲中最具標誌性的能力隻伊，影響後續許多動作冒險遊戲的飛行與滑翔機制。多樣性與自由度使其在玩家中擁有極高的耐玩性，即使通關後，人們仍會反覆挑戰關卡，尋找隱藏路徑或解鎖新的結局，這種探索性設計也啟發許多後續的瑪利歐作品，如《超級瑪利歐64》和《超級瑪利歐奧德賽》。總體而言，《超級瑪利歐世界》不僅鞏固瑪利歐作為遊戲界代表性角色的地位，更奠定平台遊戲的設計標準，其影響力延續至今，仍被視為動作冒險類型的典範之作。

Super Mario World is a platform action-adventure game developed by Nintendo and released in 1990 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (Super Famicom/SNES). It is the fourth installment in the Super Mario series and was launched on the same day as F-Zero, making them the first two titles released for the Super Nintendo platform. The game not only retains the classic elements of its predecessors but also leverages the enhanced hardware capabilities of the SNES to significantly upgrade graphics, gameplay, and overall system performance. Years later, professional gaming magazines continue to recognize it as one of the greatest games in history. It was later ported to the Game Boy Advance and Virtual Console platforms, becoming the only SNES game to surpass 20 million units in total sales.

On the game's iconic yellow cover, Mario is seen riding Yoshi, who makes his first-ever appearance in a Nintendo game. The story is set in a mysterious place called Dinosaur Land. Mario and Luigi, along with Princess Peach, arrive on the island for a vacation, but soon discover that Princess Peach has once again been kidnapped by Bowser. Meanwhile, the residents of Dinosaur Land—small dinosaur creatures—are also threatened by Bowser's forces. During their journey, Mario and Luigi encounter Yoshi, who informs them that Bowser's seven children, the Koopalings, have taken over seven castles across Dinosaur Land and imprisoned Yoshi’s friends in eggs.

Determined to rescue Princess Peach and Yoshi's companions, Mario and Luigi embark on an adventure with Yoshi, defeating the Koopalings one by one and ultimately confronting Bowser at his castle. After an intense battle, they restore peace to Dinosaur Land.

The game's design closely resembles Super Mario Bros. 3, continuing the traditional 2D side-scrolling platform gameplay that sees Mario or Luigi traverse various levels, avoiding or defeating enemies, and uncovering hidden paths to rescue Princess Peach. The core gameplay still revolves around jumping, stomping on enemies, and collecting power-ups, but numerous new elements have been introduced to enrich and challenge the overall experience.

Yoshi's debut is one of the game's major highlights. During their adventure, players can find Yoshi eggs, and once hatched, Mario can ride Yoshi to assist in their journey. Yoshi can swallow enemies and gain special abilities depending on the color of the Koopa shell he eats, such as breathing fire, flying, or causing earthquakes. This adds more variety to combat. If Mario is hit, Yoshi will panic and run away, and players must quickly retrieve him; otherwise, Yoshi will disappear, increasing the tension during gameplay.

In terms of power-ups, alongside the classic Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, and Super Star, the game introduces the Cape Feather, a powerful item that grants Mario a cape, allowing him to perform a running takeoff and briefly fly or glide. Mario can even hover in the air by skillfully maneuvering the cape. This item greatly expands the possibilities for level exploration, enabling players to discover hidden areas and shortcuts. The Spin Jump is another new feature, allowing Mario to break certain blocks mid-air or defeat enemies that cannot be stomped normally. This enhances the complexity and puzzle-solving aspects of the level design.

The game features seven main worlds and a final world, each containing multiple levels. Players must progress through them and challenge the Koopalings who occupy each castle. Every castle has unique design styles, intricate traps, and boss battles. Once a Koopaling is defeated, Mario advances closer to Bowser’s castle, gradually unlocking the path to the final showdown.

Exploration plays a significant role in Super Mario World. Each world is filled with numerous hidden paths and secret exits. Some levels even have two or more exits. By finding these secret exits, players can unlock new levels or shortcuts. There are 96 hidden exits in total, and if players miss any, they can revisit previous levels to search and complete them, dramatically enhancing the game's replay value and longevity.

Star Road is an essential hidden area in the game. By locating entrances to Star Road within levels, players can access pathways that lead to other worlds or special locations. Star Road contains five challenging levels, and completing them unlocks the Special World. Special World is the most difficult area in the game, and upon completion, Dinosaur Land undergoes significant changes, with altered terrain and enemy appearances, providing players with a fresh gameplay experience.

Upon its release, Super Mario World received widespread critical acclaim and enthusiastic responses from players, selling over 20 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling game on the SNES platform. Critics praised the game's beautiful visuals, responsive controls, and deeply engaging level design, describing it as an industry-leading title in terms of visual presentation and gameplay innovation.

Yoshi’s introduction is considered a groundbreaking moment in gaming history, and this lovable character quickly became one of Nintendo's most iconic mascots, leading to a series of spin-off games starring Yoshi himself. The Cape Feather also became one of the most iconic abilities in platform games, influencing numerous future action-adventure games that featured flight and gliding mechanics.

The game’s diversity and freedom significantly contribute to its replay value. Even after completing the game, players continue to revisit levels, search for hidden paths, and unlock new endings. This focus on exploration has directly inspired later Mario titles, such as Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Odyssey.

In conclusion, Super Mario World not only solidified Mario’s position as a flagship character in the gaming world but also set the standard for platformer design. Its legacy endures to this day, and it remains a benchmark for action-adventure games.